What is EMS?

The Ethiopian Media Services (EMS) is a nonprofit and independent media outlet established primarily to promote free press, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law. It mainly serves Ethiopians back home and the Diaspora around the world. It has Main studios, Washington D.C., EMS’S multimedia contents are now available on various platforms. EMS has also got strong social media presence posting updates daily.

Why was EMS established?

EMS was established on March 24, 2022 by a group of leading exiled journalists, Support Stuff and Board Members, to provide accurate, objective and balanced news, analysis and information, perspective as well as entertainment, talk shows, documentaries, sports and cultural programming pertaining to Ethiopia and the rest of the world.

What are its aims and objectives?

EMS’S main objective is to provide free access to news and information that are unlikely to see the daylight in Ethiopia due to censorship and other forms of restrictions.

EMS firmly believes that suppression of press freedom, persecution of journalists, and interference in the free flow of information is harmful and counterproductive to peace, stability and the effort to build a democratic society.

EMS believes that a well-functioning independent press is an essential element of a democratic system by holding those in power accountable. Exposing corruption, abuse of power, human rights violations and discrimination is the job of the media.

EMS also believes that without free access to information and ideas, citizens are unable to participate meaningfully in the political system.

Who owns EMS?

Funded by Ethiopian communities around the world, EMS is a grassroots media project under the Foundation of Corporation for Public Media Inc. a nonprofit organization incorporated in District of Colombia in the United States. EMS is powered by broad-based collective of exiled journalists, human rights advocates, civic society leaders and members in the Diaspora deeply committed to the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

What types of programming does EMS produce?

EMS produces a range of contents daily including news, in-depth analysis, features, documentaries, panel discussions, interviews, entertainment, sports, historical and cultural programs. Every effort is made in the programming to reflect the diversity of opinions as well as the plurality of Ethiopians while ensuring that the content conforms to the strict guidelines of EMS’S editorial policy.

Where does EMS get its funding?

Currently, EMS relies on the support it receives from individual donors and contributions from the Ethiopian Diaspora. Efforts are being made to get institutional support from organizations that promote democratization and press freedom.

Why support EMS?

Freedom of information is a fundamental human right. Every Ethiopian citizen has the constitutional and internationally-guaranteed legal right “to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers and without interference, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through other media of his choice and without censorship in any form.”

What challenges EMS has faced so far?

The time, energy and financial sacrifices paid to launch EMS are incalculable. It also takes enormous resources to sustain a satellite television project of this magnitude and put it on a strong foundation. We need the help of freedom loving Ethiopians and global advocates of free media to cover the costs of original programming, technical services, special productions and other activities necessary to keep EMS on air.

How can one contribute to EMS?

EMS relies on the contribution of its supporters to stay on air. Supporters can make a recurring monthly contributions or a one-time donation through bank transfer or automatic credit or debit card charges directly from EMS Support Page.

EMS is always open to financial, technical and moral support. It also welcomes ideas for partnerships and collaborations in the advancement of our mission to help create a free and open society.